Front leaf control means for tilting front drawers



April 21, 1953 A. 1". SWIMMER FRONT LEAF CONTROL MEANS FOR TILTING .FRONT DRAWERS Filed March 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Alberl' TS A. T. SWIMMER April 21, 1953 FRONT LEAF CONTROL MEANS FOR TILTING FRONT DRAWERS Filed March 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Albert T Swimmer.

ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 A. T. SWIMMER FRONT LEAF CONTROL MEANS FOR TILTING FRONT DRAWERS Filed March 12, 1951 l INVENTOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY April 21, 1953 A. T. SWIMMER FRONT LEAF CONTROL MEANS FOR TILTING FRONT DRAWERS Filed March 12, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY Alberl' 7. S

Patented Apr. 21, 1953 FRONT LEAF CONTROL MEANS FOR TILTING FRONT DBAWERS Albert T. Swimmer, Youngstown, Ohio, assignor to The General Fireproofing Company, Youngstown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 12, 1951, Serial No. 215,172

This invention relates to front compressor leaf control means for tilting front drawers for filing cabinets and the like andmore particu larly is an improvement on the Straubel Patent No. 2,090,647 issued August 24, 1937.

The patent above set forth states the desirability of providing means for controlling the compressor plate adjacent a tilting front drawer head in a manner that, when the tilting front is open the compressor plate may be manuallylatched to the tilting front to free the drawer contents. Upon moving the tilting front to a vertical closed position, the latch means holding the compressor plate and tilting front interlocked becomes automatically disengaged or released so that the plate will be spring urged inwardly to compress the drawer contents adjacent the drawer head. In the patent the tilting front and compressor plate are mounted to turn on separate spaced relatively fixed axes and the automatic release of the-latch and keeper elements on the plate and front is due to their different arcs of movement caused by the eccentricity of the fixed axes.

-One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a new constructionand arrangement for releasing or disengaging the plate-from the tilting front either by hand or automatically. In that connection,- a distinctive feature of all forms of the invention resides in making the front compressor plate vertically shiftable with respect to the tilting front and since the keeper and latch are respectively carried by said front and plate, the relativemovement of these memhere will effect release of the latch means. That is'to say, the invention contemplates slidably and shiftably'inounting the front follower or compressor plate so that the same can be moved upwardly, according to some forms of the invention to effect release of the latch means','or moved downwardly in accordance with another form of the invention to accomplish the same unlatching result. This shifting of the plate to effect unlatching may be accomplished either manually before the tilting front is closed or automatically as the tilting front moves to closed position. v f

Another object is to provide a construction wherein the follower or. compressor plate is spring urged to latching position when the tilting front is open and which spring means is controlled automatically when the tilting front is closed to effect latching.- In the patent aforesaid, the front plate is spring biased to move inwardly toward the drawer contents and, according to the present invention, that feature is maintained,

40laims. (o1. 129 26) 2 i but according to some forms thereof the'same spring which rotates the plate inwardly" may also be utilized to shift the plate. In other forms separate springs may be employed to rotate and shift the plate.

A further object'of the invention is to provide 'a simple and practical construction which lends itself to acceptable manufacturing practices, thereby not only facilitating manufacture, but at'the same time assuring adequate and positive operation in use. i I

With the-above and other objects in view,'which will more readily appear as the nature of'the invention is better understood, the same; consists in the novel construction,combination, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. r a

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l-is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a tilting drawer front wherein the compressor plate may be shifted relative thereto by hand, the tilting front being shown in open po sition; 5

Figure 2'is a view similar to Figure l with the tilting front closed; V

Figure "3 is a vertical sectional view-of a tilting front in open position with thecompressor plate latched to the tilting "front; Y e

Figure 4 is a' view similar to Figure 1 showing the tilting front-closed and the plate released from the front automatically by the mere act of closing the front; v 1

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figur'e'5a is a detail perspective view of the sliding leaf and the compressor. plate in. unlatched position as shown in Figures 4 and 5 and better illustrating the use of separate springs to urge the plate inwardly and also lowering the same, except that it will be understood that the plate is unlatcheddue to riding up on its'cam;

- Figure. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view taken longitudinally of thedrawer illustrating a modi-: fication of the invention whereinthe latchv element on the plate and the cam means on the drawer are reversed to that shown in Figures 3and4;. I. 1

- Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 with the tilting front closed; p 1 r a Figure 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Figure 7; V v 1 Figure 8a is a detail perspective view of the sliding leaf-which carries the plate-and better illustrating how a single spring may be used to perform the dual function of urging the plate inwardly and also lifting the same.

For the sake of simplification, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings, and where. the parts are different in the several modifications, different. characters will be used.

As previously indicated, one of the distinctive features of the invention is to provide a front; compressor plate which is slidablyor. shiftably mounted on the inner face of the tilting. front, thereby to have relative movement initiated manually or automatically with respect. to; the tilting front to effect disengagement or the latch. means when the tilting front is closed;

By reference to Figures 1 and. 2 of the drawlngs wherein the shifting is" wholly manual, it

will be noted that the drawer A has its: bottom.

end. is. formed to receive an elongated hinge pin. I,

the said hinge pin being carried by a. sliding leaf having a, slot 3 which slidably receives a stud 4 on the inside wall F of. the tilting front. The leaf 2; is. preferably horizontally elongated but does not 'extendentirely across'the inner face F of the tilting front, and as many slots. 3 and. studs 4 may be provided as; required in. order to guide the movement of they compressor plate K in its movement. relative, to the tilting front. Ihe compressor K is spring urged inwardly toward the drawer contents by oneor more springs 5 which are coiled about: the, hinge pintle i and have oppositestraight, ends thereof bearing against the inner faceof. the leaf and the: outer face. of the. plate K. I

. According to this: form of the invention, the plate K is intended to be mani-ial-lypulled.- upward as shown; by dotted lines. in Figure 1-, in order, to: release the latch. element I from the keeper element H just before the tiltingfront- E is; closed- When the plate K-is. un-latched. and the tilting: front. is closed as in Figure; 2.; the spring 1;. will still urg v the. plate K; inwardly to compress the drawer contents; On the other hand. when. the tilting front. is fully opened. the

operator may then take: hold. of the top edge of the plate; K andv pull. or slide it. upwardly so as to. place the: latch. I in a. position. to engage the keeper H. when the. plate; K. is moved. toward: the inner face F- of. the; opened front. Referring. to; Figures. 3, 4 and 5, these figures. show: a: modification of the invention where the. only manual. operation. is'to bring the compressor plate: toward thetilting. front when it is opened to;- efiect latching of the-plate. to the front,

the: same reference letters for the.' parts which are common to these figures: and: Figures 1. and; 2, it be observed more. specially from Figures 5 and 5a that the plate K is urged inwardly by spring 5, one end. 5* of which bears against the outer face of plate Kwhile the other end .5. bears against the inner face of leaf 2. Also, the inner wall F of the, tilting front is. pro.- video with. are opening; 6 bounded at its topbx a forwardlr p iec e enee-t d at; its; bottom 4 by a shoulder 6 formed in the wall for receiving the ends of a front plate control spring I, as will presently appear. This spring, separate from 5, is intended normally to urge the plate K in a downward position to maintain the down-turned portion of latch I engaged with the keeper H so that; when. the tilting front is open as in Figure 3-, the operator may cause: the latching means to engage simply by moving the compressor plate toward the tilting front. As will be seen from the. figures referred to, the spring 2 is coiled about: the: hinge pintle I and due to the upper end'or leg I which engages the flange 6 and the lower end; or leg i which engages the flange 6 at the. bottom of the opening 6 being of equal strength. they will keep the center line of pintle I at aneutral. position between 6 and 6 which at the same time is the lowest position of leaf 2 allowed by stud 4 thus tending to lower the plate K relative to the inclined surface 8 of cam 9 and the tilting front to maintain the latch means in engagement when the tilting front isopen.

Whenit is desired to close the tilting front, the drawer is moved inwardly and the. hinge pintle I will engage the upwardly inclined surface 8: of a cam 9 on a side wall of the. drawer and. lift the plate K as shown inFigure 4 against the. force of the. spring I toeffect automaticallythedisengagement: of H and I. Thereupon, spring. 5 throws the. plate K inwardly to the full line'position-shown. It will, of, course, be understood that a cam 9 is. provided at each side of the. drawer on the; inner faces of thedrawer wall and that said cams engage thepintle to effect its sliding movement. together with. the; leaf 2; in order, to automatically lift the compressor plate K to unlatching position.

In Figures 6, 7 and S, the. latch I of. the compressor. meansv has its hook portion turnedup.-

. wardly to engage the keeper wire H from below for the reason that in. this form the shiftable or slidable compressor plate K is normallyspring urged upwardly and the inclined surface of. the cam means is. reversed with respect. to the. form shown in Figures 3, 4 and, 5'.

Referring to Figures 6-,. 7-, 8 and. 8a, it. will be seen. that the pintle I of the: plate.- K. which. is slidablx mounted by leaf 2 on the. inner face F of the tilting front, asv in the: other forms. of. the invention. is. provided. with a singlespring II) coiled thereabout and having; its opposite. ends. so arranged as, topermit the. dual: function: of rotating the. plate K. inwardly and also raising or elevating; the.- plate K, thus doing away" with a separate spring for effecting automatic: sliding movement. of; the. plate K relative to: the tilting. front. That. i to. saw the spring I11- has its. end L0? bearing on the inner face.- of plate K. to. rock it forward andv its; end la passing. through opening' H of the inner wa-ll'F of the tilting front E to; rest: on; the. shoulder I2; of the said wall I? thereby tending to; lift or elevate the plate K. As; willhe seen from; Figures 6,, 7,, 8 and 8a, the;- ends of the pintle I. are intendedto engage with-.the

downward-lyinclined face I3 of a. cam. M3. one of open. When it is desired to close the tilting front as shown in Figure '7, the hinge pintle I will engage the downwardly inclined surfaces l3 of the cams l4 and lower the compressor plate K to automatically disengage the latch I from the keeper H and permit it to snap to drawer con tents engaging position due to force exerted by end Ill of spring I0.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention primarily includes a front follower or compressor plate unit including the plate K slidably or shiftably carried by the leaf 2 guided on the inner face of the tilting front F. In its broadest aspect the compressor plate K may be shifted manually up or down to push the latch means into engagement or disengagement. According to other forms of the invention, the compressor plate is spring urged either up or down and cooperates with appropriate cam means for moving the plate automatically in a direction to efiect automatic disengagement of the latch means.

I claim:

1. In a filing drawer having a bottom member and a front wall, said front wall being hinged to said member about a horizontal axis, a bracket mounted on the wall, means for slidably moving said bracket substantially parallel to the wall between two points in a plane perpendicular to said axis, a compressor plate hinged to said bracket about an axis parallel to the first mentioned axis, resilient means urging said compressor plate to revolve about its hinge axis in a direction away from the wall, and cooperative latch means between said plate and wall, said latch means being engageable when said bracket is in one position and disengageable when it is in another position relative to said points.

.2. In a filing drawer having a bottom member and a front wall, said front wall being hinged to said member about a horizontal axis, a bracket mounted on the wall above the said axis, means for slidably moving said bracket substantially parallel to the wall between two points in a plane perpendicular to said axis, resilient means urging said bracket toward one of said points, a compressor plate hinged to said bracket about an axis parallel to the first mentioned axis, resilient means urging said compressor plate to revolve about its hinge axis in a direction away from the wall, and cooperative latch means between said plate and wall, said latch means being engageable when said bracket is in one position and disengageable when it is in another position relative to said points.

3. In a filing drawer as defined by claim 2, means for moving the bracket against the action of the first mentioned resilient means when the front wall is revolved about its hinge axis.

4. In a filing drawer as defined by claim 2, a cam connected to the bottom member for engaging said bracket and moving it against the action of the first mentioned resilient means when the front wall is revolved about its hinge axis.

ALBERT T. SWIMMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,736,925 LeFebure Nov. 26, 1929 1,935,582 Straubel Nov. 14, 1933 2,090,647 Straubel Aug. 24, 1937 2,330,318 Straubel Sept. 28, 1943 

